They Come First
by Witchy Nike
Summary: Halt has been a Ranger for almost two years now and has yet to find an anwhile, there's uncertainty in the air surrounding Gorlan Fief,and that's where he finds a boy named Saab, who has a secret that others have died to protect. Becoming a Ranger will give him a one-way ticket to revenge against the monsters who tore his family apart. OC/Halt THIS ISN'T A SLASH FIC!
1. Prologue: Present Day, Start of Memory

_Disclaimer: I sadly don't own anything that has to do with what the best author ever, John Flanagan, has created, but anything that you do not recognize I (at the moment) happily can call mine._

_**Prologue**_

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><p>I LOOKED OVER MY SHOULDER; THEY WERE STILL GIVING CHASE, and they were gaining on us, fast.<p>

I quickly turned in the saddle to face forward, urging the horses faster.

"We're going to make it," I muttered.

"We're almost there," she agreed, grinning at me. "You're a genius, Halt."

"All thanks to you," I amended. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have made it through the last few months."

"Nah, I don't think…"She stopped mid-sentence and quickly turned in the saddle and yelled, "Halt duck—! She gasped in pain and fell off her horse, clutching her midsection.

"Saabira!" I yelled, reining the horses to a stop, taking in the arrow protruding from her side.

Her eyes were filled with pain and sadness, but the same look that every Ranger had: fearlessness.

"Go Halt!" she yelled at me as I started to dismount. I heard them getting closer by the second, their battle cries loud in the air.

"Remember Halt," she whispered to me. "They come first. You taught me that, and that's how we live. Araluen needs this more than they need me. Now go! Never forget that they come first, Halt. Never."

I froze, and then sprang into action. I rode fast and hard away from the advancing army, away from her.

The tears were flowing freely when I reached the safety of the boat and it sunk in that I had left her to die. I would never see her again, as long as I lived. And it was all my fault.

"_They come first," _she had whispered to me. They come before yourself, before just one other single person, before the other Rangers, or in this case, before the love of your life.

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><p>"So that's it? She just…died?" Will asked incredulously. "You <em>left <em>her to die?"

I nodded slowly.

"But…but…" Will trailed off. _"Why?"_

"I…I had to."

"Says who?" he demanded.

"Says the way I was taught," I snapped. "Says the way I used to live by. Don't try and make me feel bad. To this day I am still haunted by her face, her voice. I'm ashamed with what I did. If I could take it all back, I would, even if it meant getting expelled from the Ranger Corps."

The young boy's eyes widened. "You would do that?"

I nodded solemnly.

"Who was she?"

I met his curious gaze. "Promise me no interruptions."

"I promise," Will agreed, trying unsuccessfully to hide his enthusiasm.

"Then for you to understand, perhaps I should tell you the story of my first apprentice."

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><p><strong>AN: This is my first ever Ranger's Apprentice fanfic, so please don't give up on this just yet. I have tons of ideas that I think will be really good.**

**I have to let you know that this is the only time that you will hear from present-day Halt and his apprentice Will. The rest will mainly be Halt's memory, and then towards the end we will return to the present day.**

**So I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and I beg you to please come back for chapter one.**

**Thank you for checking this story out!**

**Witchy Nike**


	2. Chapter 1: Halt

**1**

_**Halt**_

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><p>IT WAS A COOL, BRISK NIGHT. STRANGELY QUIET, IT MOST certainly didn't suit the mood of the place. Crowley had been made the Ranger Corps' Commandment and, much to his dismay, Castle Araluen was celebrating. The King had insisted, for he and Crowley were good friends.<p>

"Halt!" a man called from behind me.

"Which is it?" I asked, turning to glance at the young man who'd become my good, and pretty close to only, friend. Crowley was a tall young man in his early twenties who had sandy colored hair and bright, sea blue eyes.

"You just made a joke," Crowley said, staring in disbelief. "In the five years I've known you you've never done so where you could be heard by anyon—"

"I'm trying to be cheerful for your well-being," I replied. "And I supposed I don't care who hears at the moment."

"Don't. You'll make me, and everyone else for that matter, die of shock," he said with a wry smile. "Then you would have my position."

"No. I wouldn't. I don't exactly have everyone's trust."

"We're Rangers. No one 'exactly' trusts us."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Lighten up some Halt," Crowley said, clapping me on the back.

"You told me not to," I pointed out.

He chuckled. "Where are you headed at this late hour?"

"Home."

"This late?" Crowley raised an eyebrow at me. "I know you hate celebrations and all, but you _can _stay here for the night."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I think it would be better off for everyone else if I just left."

"Be careful Halt," Crowley said, turning serious. "You know the rumors."

"Don't worry about me. Go enjoy the celebration."

"It's a damn shame that you can't enjoy it with me," he said, grinning.

"Damn shame it is. But duty calls," I said. "Congratulations Crowley."

"Thanks Halt."

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><p>The ride was slow on the way back to Redmont Fief. The old horse grew tired easily and wasn't very quiet as it clomped through the woods. Thinking to the day I left Hibernia five years ago and came across my first Araluen Fief, this horse probably wasn't the best choice, considering it was old then. But at the time it was all I could afford, or, at least, all I <em>thought <em>I should have spent at the time. I hadn't known much about horses then. Or how Araluen prices were.

_Wouldn't it be nice if there was a type of horse specially bred for Rangers?_ I thought, amused.

I froze, reining the horse to a stop. There was an odd sound breaking the silence about a mile or so to the east. It was a strange guttural sound, not quite loud enough to be a scream but not quite soft enough to be a normal conversation.

My mind made up, I set off in search of the unusual sound. What I found stopped me in my tracks.

There were probably ten or fifteen beasts like none I'd ever seen before. Misshapen and stocky, they had some human-like qualities, but had black fur and a muzzle that was long and savage with fangs that belonged to a bear. But it wasn't just the creatures that had my senses alert. Something else was out there, moving so quietly and unseeingly that only one with the skills of a Ranger could have detected. As it was, these strange beings were being driven insane by their inability to find it.

Movement on my left forced my attention away from the creatures, but it was already gone. I slowly scanned the area, not really focusing on any certain object. Then, again, I saw movement, right behind the biggest beast.

And that's when it made its mistake.

All heads turned to look at the figure that had frozen, one foot on a twig, the other in the air.

The monsters charged him with raised battle-axes and swords, ready to take him down fifteen to one. Now that I was sure that it was human I knew that I had to step in. But before I even had the chance to grab and notch an arrow, the man was in motion.

The first one that fell upon him he hit in the head with a fair-sized tree branch, knocking it unconscious. The next one raised its battle-axe and was just about to slice down on him while his back was turned when out of nowhere the man whirled around bringing the stick up, blocking the deadly blow. The monster pushed down harder, making him stagger backwards. The other ones rushed forward, eager to finish the job.

I notched an arrow and let it fly at the closest one to the man. I knew it hit home without even looking. Already I had taken several down. The remaining few turned my way but froze in terror, all eyes locked on the horse. Puzzled, I urged the horse forward and the misshapen things ran off, looking back to see if the horse was giving chase.

I looked down at the ones that I'd killed, wondering what they were.

"They're Wargals, sir."

I looked over at the man who'd I'd forgotten was there. What surprised me more was that it wasn't a man, just a boy about fifteen or sixteen years old. He was average height for his age, and he obviously had lots of strength. He had blue-gray eyes and short light brown hair. He clearly wasn't the full-grown knight I had thought him to be. Yet…I thought I recognized him from somewhere.

"Wargals, you say?" I asked while I was studying him.

"Yes sir," the boy nodded. He also had a slight almost indecipherable accent that I hadn't heard in ages.

"And how are you so sure about that?" I asked. "Aren't they pure fiction?"

"They must not be, sir," the boy replied. "They seemed real enough to me."

"Of course they were real," I snapped, wondering if the boy was trying to be smart.

The boy wisely said nothing.

"How did you move like that?"

He looked up at me. "Move like what?"

"You honestly don't know?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." The boy seemed sincere enough.

"What's your name, boy?"

"Saab."

"Saab what?" I asked quickly. The name was just as familiar as the boy himself. Yet I didn't know why.

"Just Saab, sir." He looked embarrassed and maybe the slightest bit sad. "I don't know what my other name is."

"Where are you from?" I asked a little bit more gently.

"Gorlan Fief."

"And what are you doing out here all alone at night?"

"I, uh, umm…" Saab looked at a loss for words, like he was debating whether or not to lie. "Getting out," he said truthfully.

I nodded my head in approval which, thankfully, the boy didn't see. "Why?"

"I was told to leave because I ticked my guardian off."

"And how did you do that?"

"By my presence being in the same room as his."

"Come on, then."

"Sorry?"

"Well I'm certainly not letting some boy who's seemed to have lost his mind wander around aimlessly in the dark trying to figure out his way back to his home with more of those things running around."

"Thank you sir."

While making our way to Gorlan Fief I would have just assumed to traveling in silence, but after ten minutes of silence, this was not the case.

"You don't seem evil."

I turned in the saddle to look at him. "What?"

Saab looked up confused, and then coming to a realization said, "Oh. It's just…Rangers are said to be evil and self-centered."

I chuckled inwardly. Self-centered? That was a new one.

"But it doesn't seem like it," he continued hastily. "You saved my life, which isn't exactly a self-centered or evil action if you ask me."

"Did anyone ask you?"

"Well, no…" He seemed to think about it. "But they are wrong. Especially Baron Morgarath."

I glanced sharply at him. I hated the man he was referring to, but there was no reason for a mere boy to be speaking that way about a full grown man.

"Has no one taught you respect?"

"No! I mean I didn't mean any disrespect. I learned years ago not to speak badly of the man," he said hurriedly. "I only meant to right a wrong."

"I would leave that up to them," I cautioned him. "You won't believe what kind of trouble that can get you in.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me you're sorry. Just shut-up and learn from your mistakes."

From then on it was quiet all the way to Gorlan Fief.

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><p>"What are you doing here?" the low, sharp voice of Morgarath cut into the air across the room harshly. Exceptionally tall and thin with long, dead white hair, and adorned in black clothes, Baron Morgarath was a fearful sight.<p>

"This boy claims to be under your watch," I said, not shrinking under his dark gaze like he was used to having people do.

He tore his eyes away from mine and looked sternly at Saab. Saab met his eyes evenly and dipped his head in acknowledgement.

"I thought I told you to stay away from their sort." He didn't even try to hide the rudeness and pure hatred in his words.

"Yes sir. You did."

"And yet you linger around not just any Ranger, but _him?"_

"Who is 'him', sir?" The boy was getting impatient, but I was impressed with how polite his tone still was.

"That doesn't matter," Morgarath said, ignoring him. "Where were you?"

"Out, sir."

"Out?"

Saab nodded.

"Why?"

"You told me to leave and never come back."

"And?"

"And?"

Morgarath clenched his jaw. "Where did you go?"

"Out of Gorlan."

"No kidding, you idiot. _Where_?"

"In the woods."

"Care to elaborate?"

"No."

"No?"

"That's right sir."

Morgarath's eyes narrowed in distrust. "Go to the Battlemaster."

Saab stiffened slightly. "The Battlemaster?"

"Go!" Morgarath bellowed. The boy left without any further arguments.

I looked up at the Baron wondering how he came to have authority over the young boy. Surely no one in their right mind would willingly hand over their child to someone like _this_, dying or not.

"Where did he come from?" I asked, knowing the answer I would receive before I even spoke.

"That's really none of your concern _Ranger_," he said, making the word 'Ranger' seem like it was some foul disease.

"Actually, it is."

Morgarath raised an eyebrow at me, a grin tugging at his lips, like he couldn't wait to contradict my response. "And why would that be?"

"I want him for my apprentice."

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><p><strong>AN: So please let me know what you thought about the last two chapters! I would love to hear some feed-back. My deal for my other stories is that however many reviews I get, that's how many chapters you get when I make an update (if I have enough), and at this point I do have enough.**

**And oh how I hate Morgarath…grr….wish I could kill him off now! But that's Horace's job…**

**So let me know through a review and we'll just see what happens! Please come back for chapter two! We shall see what happens.**

**Until then…**


	3. Chapter 2: Halt

_A/N: First off, sorry this is so late! With school, sports, coaching, and being grounded, well, everything has been really hectic. I'm lucky to get this time that I have now. And I really am terribly sorry for putting all of you through that, especially since I've only had two chapters up and you guys could have quit this story…so I thank you from my heart for taking time to read these horribly overdue chapters. I wish you all had a wonderful Christmas and a lovely New Year! And if any of my updates are EVER this late again, someone track me down and beat me for it. __;)_

_But, as promised, you get five more chapters. Possibly more if my computer (and my brain) are nice and give me something acceptable to work with. So drop a review after you've read 'em please!_

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><p><strong>2<strong>

_**Halt**_

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><p>"THERE IS NO WAY IN <em>HELL <em>THAT I WILL ALLOW one of _my _subjects to be apprenticed to the likes of _you_!" Morgarath yelled, his earlier smirk lost in a mask of rage.

"And why would that be?" I asked, keeping my voice calm and controlled even though inside my temper was about to snap.

"I don't have to answer you!" he replied. I could tell by looking at him he had no good reason at all. "Go pick some poor boy from your own Fief"

"There are none there that have the potential that Saab does."

"What if the Ranger assigned to my Fief wants him?"

"Cael already has a remarkable apprentice. I see no reason for him to drop the young man three years into his training."

"What a shame," Morgarath said sarcastically. "The answer's still _no_."

"Alright."

There was silence in the room following my words.

"Alright?" Morgarath said slowly, confusion clear in his features. It wasn't known for a Ranger to give in easily, especially when we wanted something. And given my reputation, I most certainly was not one to give up.

"Yes. As in; '_Fine. I will abide by your wishes'_."

"Get out," Morgarath snapped. "I don't ever want to see you again as long as I live."

"As you wish," I said, dipping my head semi-respectfully, and then receding back into the shadows. That wouldn't be hard for me to agree with.

"You again, boy?" the tired yet aggravated and friendly voice of Gorlan Fief's Battlemaster sounded. "Why can't it wait til the morning?"

"I'm sorry," I heard Saab murmur.

"Oh it's not your fault Saab. That man has a temper."

Saab coughed, which I imagined was covering a laugh. "I think it's best if I don't reply to that."

"You do realize that I have to do as he wishes, correct?" the Battlemaster asked, tone sad.

"Yup. I understand."

"I like you kid. I'll be damned if the man ever lets me in on why I can't take you as an apprentice."

"Personal slave," Saab said dryly. "He loves to have many of 'em."

"Can't argue with that," the Battlemaster chuckled. "Well, the boys ain't gonna be happy about being woken up this late to beat you. It might be worse than normal, or not as bad. It all depends."

"I figured as much."

"You're a good kid. How's your sister?"

"She's…uh…fine. Can't say her Master is better than mine. He's…abusive."

The Battlemaster gave an angry sigh. "Such a shame. She's such a nice, pretty girl. Haven't seen her in quite awhile."

"She's kept…busy," Saab said slowly. "I haven't seen her myself."

"Alright. I don't want to keep stalling this. I'd much rather it be now that you get the beating when they are drowsy then when they're awake and thinking straight. Yes, there will be more pain, but it most likely won't be any bad injuries."

"Thank you."

"I wish there was something I could do that I would feel actually deserves your thanks," the Battlemaster muttered.

Minutes later there were several very angry and tired looking boys outside in the courtyard. Saab stood in front of them, showing no emotion at all. He didn't seem to be scared or worried. He was just silent and impassive.

"Damn idiot," I heard a boy growl. "We actually had a hard day of working. And we have to deal with _him_."

"I'll take pleasure in causing him pain," another one hissed.

"Alright. Five minutes," the Battlemaster said, not looking at his young friend. He left the area and the boys circled around Saab.

He tensed and crouched, like he was going to fight. But as soon as the first one stepped forward, he made no move to stop the blows being thrown at him. He didn't make a sound, even as the others joined in on the beating. Punches were thrown, kicks were made, and he was thrown about among them. All the while he took it without a word. It was truly painful to watch, for it brought memories of when I was beat like this years before every week.

After what seemed like hours, five minutes were up and the boys slowly left, giving him one last punch or kick as they went, spitting insults and curses at his sprawled and bloodied figure.

Once they all left, I went to check on him. He seemed to be unconscious, but when I knelt beside him and checked his pulse, his eyes flew open and peered at me questioningly.

"Damn boy. What have you gotten yourself into?" I asked, not really talking to him, rather myself.

"Oh it's nothing but normal," he replied, his voice filled with pain but his eyes shining with amusement.

"Can you stand?" I asked, taking in gashes and bruises and blood flowing freely.

"I honestly don't know the answer to that at the moment." He tried to crouch, but was wobbly.

"Well for god's sake let me help you before you hurt yourself more," I growled.

He nodded his thanks and let me help him to his feet. "If you could help me to the castle that'd be great. A few good hours of rest and I should be fine."

"Quit being tough," I snapped. "I'll take a look at your injuries when we get there."

I was utterly surprised when he didn't ask any questions.

"Can you ride okay?"

"I dunno…" he mumbled, half asleep.

"Come on kid. You gotta stay awake for an hour or two," I said gently.

"Alright."

Eventually I found the stalls and quickly saddled a random horse (one that was young and could last awhile) and helped Saab up. He tried to sit up straight and grabbed the reins loosely, urging the horse gently forward.

Side by side we made our way to Redmont Fief and to my little cottage in the woods. And each time I looked over to check on him to see how he was doing, I was impressed with the way he was keeping up and handling the horse. I couldn't help but think what a great choice I had made for my first apprentice. Hopefully my good luck with him would last.

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><p><strong>AN: Ah Halt, you worry too much. Sure, he'll turn out fine….ish.**

**And man, Morgarath is **_**such **_**a bastard…and with that being said I can't wait until they meet again! XD (and yes, there will be some fighting among either Halt and Morgarath or Saab and Morgarath. Which would be more interesting, hmm? 'Cause both of him against him wouldn't be fair…)**

**I want you guys to know that as soon as I saw that I had five reviews already the day after I'd put the story up…well that just made me feel really good. That does a lot with my confidence for this story. So I would like to thank each and every one of you and reply to you now:**

Lovemusic2**: Thank you so much! I am glad that it was the slightest bit good because honestly I was worried that it wasn't. I hope this chapter, and the rest for that matter, are just as good, if not better than these last two. I sincerely apologize for the update being so damned late.**

LadyWallace**: Thank you! I am glad that it is original. I haven't had the pleasure to read many RA fanfictions yet, but I hope to soon. I will have to check yours out as soon as I can. I love Halt a lot, and so I figured that I had to write one with him…and I wanted it to be around the time when he was kind of new to everything still, you know what I mean? It should leave it open for some major conflicts (like the Morgarath one) for me to go into. We shall see. And yes, there definitely will be some fighting among Morgarath…and I hope to make it good. I hope the update wasn't a disappointment, even if it was ridiculously late, which I am terribly sorry for. Oh, and real quick random statement: did you know that they don't have any OC character button to pick when you choose the character-thingy button when first making the story? I was confused at that for awhile but figured I'd work around it.**

SoulMistress12**: First off, let me say I hope you haven't abandoned this story! I hope you're still out there somewhere just waiting and hating me for taking so long! I really appreciated your review because it pointed out SO much! Anyways… Thank you thank you thank you for the absolutely WONDERFUL review! You pointed out so much to me! I went to reply to you…but I couldn't, which made me sad. Alright, so your review made me start thinking. I am curious as to where you think that this might be going…and I hope it won't disappoint you. As I said, I haven't read many RA fanfics yet, so I'm not sure if my story is totally original or not, which I know it probably most definitely is not, except for maybe some characters. And Saabira…(I'm not sure how to pronounce it…I think it might be "suh-beer-uh", but I don't know. I found it and thought it was different, so…)…yeah, she's my mystery character. You'll just have to wait and see for more about her…and I can guarantee that her character will be the slightest bit different from any others. I'm glad that you think that my way of introducing things was good because I had another prologue, but this one called to me more, and I wasn't sure if I was going to regret that decision later or not. Also, to that one story you mentioned…**"Card Capture"**…I searched it and could find it nowhere. Do you know the author's name, by chance? Anyways, hope this story isn't too much of a disappointment to you, and I can't wait to see if what you think will be right or wrong! What fun! ;)**

**And last but not least…**

Dodo.123**: Thank you very much! That makes me feel really good… Hope the rest isn't a letdown! (And that you'll pretty please forgive me!) Enjoy!**

**Again, thank you all for giving this story a chance and reviewing it. It certainly made my day, and believe me, that day was crappy because of medical issues going on in my family. Thank you guys!**

**Please read and review you guys! As you can tell, makes my day!**

**Until next time….**

**Witchy Nike**


	4. Chapter 3: Saab

**3**

_**Saab**_

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><p>I WOKE UP IN A STRANGE PLACE, ACHING ALL OVER. When I looked around I became deeply confused, not understanding what was going on.<p>

The room that I was in was not like that of which I owned in Gorlan Fief. It was small, yet very roomy and tidy. I was in a small bed that had been placed against one wall, and there was a table with a washing basin and jug on it. There was a wardrobe for clothes, and what stood out most, a vase of freshly picked wildflowers. It was a lot nicer than the one I had had, which was a dark corner in the kitchens.

None of this helped me remember much, which wasn't exactly doing anything good for the pounding in my head.

And then the dream came to me.

The Wargals had found me stalking them, trying to see who they were looking for, and in turn had started hunting _me_. There had been a strange young man, maybe twenty or twenty-one years old, who had been dressed in the strange mottled green and gray cloak that belonged to the Rangers. When the Wargals were going to kill me, he had stepped in with his uncanny ability to shoot with deadly accuracy and speed with that bow of his. He had taken me back to Morgarath, and then I had been sent to Vadym, the Battlemaster and one of my only friends in the whole entire Kingdom, and then the beating had came. After that there was only a vague memory of the strange Ranger, stealing a horse, and riding away from the accursed Fief of the cruelest man I had met in my entire life. And I had met some pretty cruel men. I didn't remember much next after the…dream.

Some part of me, however, was protesting that this was most definitely _not _a dream. It was too life-like to be pure imagination. Besides, I had these bruises and bandages covering my arms. Not to mention the headache and my body screaming in agony.

The only conclusion was that it _had_ happened.

So that meant I was in a strange house that happened to belong to a strange man, but not an ordinary strange man. Oh no, things couldn't be that simple in my life. He was a _Ranger._ And this one was odd even among their standards. This was a man that was pure evil, like all the rest of his kind. At least, those were some of the words that had been drilled into my pathetically stupid head.

I threw back the covers and stood, quickly regretting my fast movements. I staggered as a wave of nausea overwhelmed me. I put a hand on the wall to steady myself, and then made my way for the door.

The house itself was small, but homely. It seemed to only have three rooms, one was the bedroom I had just come from, and there was a door next to mine which must be _his _room. When I looked straight ahead of me was what appeared to be a single room that had both a living room and a kitchen separated by a single pine bench. The living room had a fair-sized fireplace with wood stacked neatly next to it, ready to be cast inside and fill the place with a nice, comfortable warmth. On the mantle were some more brightly colored flowers in vases, adding color to the place. Two comfortable armchairs were placed close, but not too close, to the fireplace. The kitchen had a stove and some shelves that held seasonings and such that must've been recently gathered. There were pots and pans on the floor that appeared to be well polished so they shined. Not far from the stove was a small wooden table that had a couple chairs made of identical wood placed around it. Another door was in the kitchen, which I could tell led outside from looking out of the huge window that let bright light flow in, showing a wooden porch with a canvas chair placed off to the side.

"How are you feeling?" a voice asked from beside me.

I jumped and turned to glance at the Ranger, and was startled all over again when I realized he wasn't wearing his cloak.

He was a small man, shorter than average height. In fact, I was a good foot or so taller than he. He looked to be twenty and he had kind of long immensely dark brown hair that seemed as if he had cut on his own with a knife and even darker, intense brown eyes. He also wasn't built like I had thought him to be. He wasn't bulked up, but he was slightly muscled, definitely strong. Dressed in simple brown and gray woolen clothes and soft-looking leather boots, he was not what I had expected a Ranger to look like, but I was not disappointed. Everything about him told me that he was more than he seemed and that I, and anyone else, had better beware him.

"It's not polite to stare, or to ignore someone when they speak," he said. He had a deep voice with a thick Hibernian accent. This shocked me to my core. Last night I hadn't noticed because of course it wasn't an accent in my ears, it was perfectly normal.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I hastily asked, dropping my eyes away from him.

"How are you feeling?" he repeated.

"Great."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Really? Think long and hard before you answer."

"Confused," I admitted. "But if you're referring to the aftermath of the beating, sore, but fine. I've had worse."

"Good."

"Thanks for helping me out," I said. "I should get back so I'm not in too much trouble."

"Wait."

I turned back to look at him.

"Do you like your life in Gorlan Fief?"

"No," I said automatically. "I suspect anyone that has Baron Morgarath in their life would say the same."

"If you ever had the choice to leave it, without ever being able to go back to your old life, would your choice be the same? Meaning you had to leave your friends and family?" I laughed inwardly. Which old life were we referring to here?

"Vadym would understand. He'd want me to leave."

"What about your sister?"

I froze. If only he and everyone else knew the truth. It was one mistake a few years ago that they even knew about her. "She would want it for me more than anyone."

He nodded. "What would you say if I told you I can give you that option?"

"I would probably agree after I was through being paranoid."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't take this the wrong way…but you could be some psychotic killer or a man worse than Morgarath, which would scare me even more."

"If I were some psychotic killer, why did I save you?"

"So you could kill me yourself."

"Why didn't I do that in the woods after I saved you?"

"Good point. It's just that I've learned not to trust anyone, no matter how good their intensions may seem at the time."

"Sometimes you're just going to have to take chances, not thinking about the effect it could have on the future."

"It could get you hurt—" I started to say.

"It's best to get hurt and to have gained something than it is to stay safe and sound and come up with nothing."

"I'm sorry I put you through that," I apologized, sighing. "It's just—"

"Don't worry about it," he interrupted me. "I like where your head's at kid. It's good to be thoughtful when you're a Ranger."

"A…R-ranger?" I asked, stumbling over the word, staring at him in disbelief.

"First you would have to be an apprentice, but eventually you'd most likely become a Ranger."

"You want _me _for your apprentice?" I was shell-shocked.

"No, I'm asking you for names of people who have the potential," he said sarcastically. "Of course I do. The question is do _you _want to be _my_ apprentice?"

"Absolutely," I said.

"Good," he said. "Now, are you hungry?"

"A little," I admitted.

"Do you know how to cook?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes sir."

"Most boys don't. Where did you learn a skill like that?"

"My sister."

"Your sister taught you?" He looked like he didn't believe me. "Is she older than you?"

"She's about…" I tried to think. It had been so long ago, yet I never stopped thinking about it. "…two years younger than me."

"And you actually listened?"

"She's all I have. Of course I did."

"Let's test you then. Unless you're too injured, that is."

"No," I replied quickly. "I'll do it."

Fifteen minutes later I had breakfast made and we were sitting at the table, eating. Well, he was eating while I was watching him eat for a few minutes, waiting to see if my cooking was really as bad as Morgarath had cracked it up to be.

"Not bad," he said after his first bite.

"Thank you," I said. I looked down at my food, took a small bite, and then looked up at him again, tons of questions coming to mind. But remembering last night, I didn't think he liked talking all that much. After a few seconds, however, curiosity gave in.

"Can I ask you something?"

He looked up at me. "What?" I was right. He hated talking. Or maybe it was questions he hated.

"If you don't mind me asking…what's your name?"

"Halt."

"Sorry?"

"My name is Halt."

I almost choked on my food. I knew that name. But it couldn't be… "Really?"

"Really." He was getting irritated.

"What's your last name?" I said quickly.

He stabbed viciously at his food, than glared at me. "It doesn't really matter, now does it?"

"No, I suppose not," I said, kind of disappointed.

"I don't have a last name," he muttered into the silence.

Thinking it was best to change topics, I said, "What does a Ranger do?"

"What do you _think _they do?" Halt retorted.

"Well…I don't really know," I said, keeping the unspoken _'That's kind of why I asked you' _in my head. Sarcasm, though my good friend, tended to get me in a lot of trouble.

"An apprentice must prove his worth before anything else. Therefore what you will be doing is the housework."

"Okay," I said, standing up. "What all is there that needs to be done?"

"First of all, I expect you to keep your room as clean as the rest of this house."

"Spotless?"

"You got it," he said in a way that made me think he was comparing me with a little kid. "Firewood needs to be cut and stacked in the lean-to next to the cabin as well as next to the fireplace, unless you want to freeze at night, even though _I_ prefer to stay warm. Water needs to be brought from the river and put in the barrel outside on the verandah so it's easily accessible to do necessary cleaning and to quench your thirst. It should take you quite a few trips, maybe thirty or so bucket-fulls. The rug needs beaten, floors need swept, and dishes need washed. Pots need to be shined until you can see your own face in them, which you will do by filling them with water and fine sand, which you'll find in the river. Any questions?"

"Anything else?"

"That's enough for now. It should be more than enough to keep you occupied for awhile."

Nodding, I walked out the door and got started on my work.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And so begins the training with the legendary chores. Who isn't familiar with those? Certainly not me… *rriiiighhttt….***

**So Saab will definitely be an interesting character, if you hadn't already figured out. At least…I hope he will. We will learn more about him later on, and to tell the truth, not even I have all the details sorted out. It's kind of complicated, in a way. You'll see why soon (hopefully).**

**I need feedback you guys. It helps me move along, it really does. So please read and review! I love to hear whatever you're thinking, whether it's good or bad. So while typing a review, just put whatever first came to your mind or something like that. I would like to know how you feel about this story so far. Because I still have a long way to go…**

**R&R please!**

**Until next time….**

**Witchy Nike**


	5. Chapter 4: Saab

**4**

_**Saab**_

* * *

><p>WHO KNEW CHOPPING WOOD WOULD WORK YOUR LEG MUSCLES? I had been taught that when you bring the axe down, you land in a crouch, which put more power behind the blow.<p>

I knew that I should probably switch back, that it was dangerous to remain the real me, but I stopped every time. Halt, and I guess everyone else for that matter, was going to have to find out someday, and when that day came, I didn't want to have to start the training all over again…or become a huge disappointment. I wasn't an idiot; I knew why I was doing the housework. It made you stronger, and lord knows I needed a hell of a lot more of it.

I brought the axe down hard, landing in a crouch, and split the piece in half. Satisfied with the amount I'd chopped, I stacked four pieces in my arms and headed for the lean-to. Several more trips and I was ready to beat the crap out of a rug. I switched back

Halt was nowhere in sight I noticed when I stepped into the little cottage, which was now my home. In fact, he hadn't been there since breakfast, and it was quite a while past that time. Shrugging, I grabbed the rug (which was also the last thing on my to-do list) and turned around and came face to face with a man that hadn't been there before. I jumped and dropped the rug, a cloud of dust filling the air between us. Damn. I shouldn't have left the door open. And the sad thing was that I had heard him coming but hadn't thought anything of it.

"Is the Ranger Halt here?" he demanded. He had a burly build, so I assumed he was a knight. But why he was here, wanting to speak with my mentor, I had no idea.

"I'm sure he's around here somewhere. What are you doing here, barging in like that?"

"Tell him when you see him that the Baron would like to see him," the man said, letting himself out and heading for a huge majestic, dark colored battlehorse.

"Hey!" I yelled. "You can't just barge into someone's house uninvited and then leave with no explanation!"

"I told you all you need to know," the man said, and he rode off through the woods.

"Jackass," I muttered, beating the rug like it was the man himself.

"Sorry?" Halt asked testily, appearing out of nowhere. Or so it seemed. _"What _did you just call me?"

"Not–you!" I grunted, almost choking on the dust flying off the rug. "Some guy–barged in and–said that the**–**Baron wants to–see you."

"And?"

"And–nothing. That's all–he said."

"And you saw it fit to call him a jackass?"

"He was–rude. He acted like–he owned–the place."

"Would you put the damn stick down?" Halt snapped. "It's clean enough. I don't want holes in it. It's still a nice rug."

I dropped the stick and turned to face him. "What else needs to be done?"

"You're done with _everything _already?"

"Already? It took me close to three and-a-half hours! And I'm used to cleaning!"

"I would've expected it to take you longer."

"Like I said, I'm used to cleaning, but normally it's a bigger place and I have a little bit of help. I just never expected a place _this _small to require hours of work."

"Maybe you can improve your time in a few more days."

I nodded, sensing now was not the time to argue. The Ranger seemed occupied by his own thoughts.

"So…what else is there for me to do?" I asked after a moment or two of silence.

"There's plenty for you to do," he said impatiently. "The real question is: do I want to leave you here unattended for however many hours I'm with the Baron?"

"I did just fine in the past three hours on my own when you were nowhere to be found," I snapped back before I could stop myself. I mentally kicked myself. Damn it all. My first day in training and I'm already going to make him hate me. Bye-bye Halt, hello evil, malicious bastard.

His eyes flew to mine, angry, yet he was silent as he seemed to think. Soon the anger dissolved, placed with something I couldn't put my finger on.

"You're right. But what I meant was I think it would be best if you came with me."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Just watch your tongue. I know you're generally silent with the smart-ass remarks, at least from what I've seen. But one slip-up at the wrong time with the wrong person can be dangerous."

Not able to think of anything to say to that, I nodded. "When do we leave?"

"How urgent was the message?"

"Well he really didn't show much emotion—"

"Saab…" Halt warned.

"—but I think it was pretty important."

"Then we leave now."

* * *

><p>Redmont Fief was a whole lot different than Gorlan Fief. For one, it seemed much bigger. The castle was by far the largest establishment I had ever seen in my life in Araluen. The layout, as was expected, was totally different. The town on the outside of the castle walls was a fair-sized one with people milling about doing their day-to-day activities. The sound of work being done was present among the chatter and laughs and yells of those calling out to friends they'd just spotted.<p>

"Stay out of trouble and don't draw much attention to yourself," Halt told me.

"Too late," I muttered, noticing all the fearful and odd glances being thrown at the Ranger, and the curious ones directed my way.

"Just don't get in any fights," he said irritated, and he left towards the huge castle.

"You basically just cursed me," I muttered to myself.

"Excuse me?" said a gentle voice from behind me.

I turned and came face to face with a tall, graceful, pretty girl.

"Oh, not you. It's just that when somebody tells me _not _to do something, it ends up happening regardless."

"Sounds like you have an interesting life every now and then." She smiled sweetly. "I'm Pauline."

"Saabira."

Pauline raised a fine eyebrow. "I'm no expert with foreign names, but isn't that a girl's name?"

I kicked myself for not being careful. If I didn't think before I spoke, everything he had wanted for me would go up in smoke. I would've let him down, and I would die if I did.

"I meant Saab. _My _name is Saab. You just reminded me of my sister for a moment, whose name is Saabira."

She nodded slowly. "You're names are pretty close. You two must get mixed up."

"Ah…yeah, every now and then."

"Well _Saab_, are you new around here? I've never seen or heard of you and your sister. And you also have an accent."

I swallowed nervously. "I've lived in Gorlan Fief for awhile…but I'm Hibernian."

"Really? Not many people like to talk about him, but Redmont Fief's Ranger is Hibernian."

"Yeah. I know. I was made his apprentice today."

"Oh," she said. "I've been told that his accent's really thick…but yours isn't."

"My father was Araluen."

"Oh," she blushed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's alright."

"You're from Gorlan Fief?" she changed the subject.

I nodded.

"I have the day off, so I can show you around if you'd like. I could even try to keep you out of trouble," Pauline said, smiling at the last part.

"I don't want to bother you—"

"You won't be bothering me," she cut in. "I have nothing else to do anyways."

"I doubt you'll be able to keep me out of trouble."

"I'm up for the challenge. And I'll try my best," she said as we walked. "So…" she said attentively after a moment. "You're a Ranger's apprentice? You look more like a battleschool apprentice, if you don't mind me saying. But then I don't know what a Ranger should look like either. I've never seen one in person besides for the cloaks they wear, and neither has anyone that I know."

"The Battlemaster of Gorlan Fief wanted me for his apprentice…but my guardian refused."

"Yet he let you be apprenticed to a Ranger?" she questioned, a fine eyebrow raised in disbelief. "Not many people like to be in the presence of Rangers, let alone speak or make deals with them."

"Uh…"

"It's alright. You don't have to tell me. I wouldn't be very open with people that I've known for ten minutes only."

"You said you had the day off," I said. "What do you have a break from?"

"I'm training to work for the Diplomatic Services," she said, smiling slightly.

"For how long now?" I asked, trying to sound interested and keep the conversation alive. I most definitely didn't want it to return to the subject of me.

"A little over three years now."

"How long do you have left?"

"Who knows?" Pauline said, shrugging. "It's not my choice."

"I guess it's the same with every job?"

"Yes, it is."

We traveled in companionable silence for a while with her showing me different shops and taverns and inns. Every now and then she'd introduce me to some people that she knew, and then they'd walk away after exchanging polite words with odd looks on their faces.

After five more people, I glanced over at Pauline. "They don't care for newcomers, do they? Or is it just foreign people in general?"

She blushed. "I'm sorry. It's just not normal for a Hibernian to be roaming the streets in Araluen."

"So I'm a freak?"

"No!" she exclaimed. "It's just—"

"Well hullo Lady Pauline," a dry voice said from behind us. "You're looking as beautiful as ever today."

I turned to see a well muscled red haired boy surrounded by several others. They had to be Battleschool apprentices. Well shit. No matter who they were, Battleschool apprentices just hated me for reasons that were beyond my comprehension, and I knew from the arrogant smirks on their faces these ones would be no exception. It didn't help much that I had more wits then all of them combined and that my mouth was hard to keep shut.

"Thank you very much Daron," Pauline said stiffly. "Now if you'll excuse us, we must leave now."

"Aww, but you didn't return the compliment!" Daaron whined. "You can't leave yet. We haven't even exchanged pleasantries."

"And I would rather it stay that way. Good-bye boys. Have a good day." Pauline grabbed my hand and started to lead me away from the group.

"Who's the runt?" he growled, stepping in front of us. "I've never had the opportunity to speak with him yet."

"You mean fight him," Pauline corrected him. "Stay away Daron. He can take you any day."

"Oh really?"

"In fact, he can take all of you," Pauline agreed defiantly.

"What are you doing?" I whispered to her. "You said you were going to keep me _out _of trouble!"

"I am," she whispered back. "They're cowards. They won't take the challenge; they'll back off."

I don't know if it was because Daron heard her or if he thought I was easy pickings and he would have a chance to show off, but his next words did _not _make me happy in the least.

"Prove it then," Daron growled, grinning cockily. "He's so small, he won't last one second."

I ground my teeth together in irritation. I was bigger than he was, both with height and muscles. God, he was a moron.

"Oh, you don't like that very much, do you?"

There was a footstep behind me and I ducked just in time to see a fist fly where my head had been. I lashed my foot out and brought the boy to the ground.

"Real chivalrous, trying to attack a man while his back is turned," I told the lead boy.

"And how would _you _know anything about chivalry, you dumbass," Daron snarled, barely detecting my very slight accent. It's not my fault I still pronounced some words and letters differently. Why did everybody always think I was stupid just because I had an _accent_? Besides, it was very rarely it was detected!

"I highly doubt you're right, considering I'm polite enough to not curse in front of a lady who so obviously thinks very little of you already. Not only are you a revolting pig, but you're a clueless little git, aren't you?"

He lunged at me, as did the rest of his crew.

"Real fair, seven to one," I muttered, knocking one of his feet and punching the other in the jaw.

Out of nowhere Daron pulled out a wickedly long and sharp knife.

"Damnit," I said under my breath. He circled me slowly, trying to find an opening while the others started snickering.

"It's pretty sad that you're so unconfident with your abilities that you have to resort to using a blade against someone unarmed. Tell me, is that what they teach you in Battleschool, how to fight unfair? That's pretty cowardly," I said, taking in my surroundings. It was a small alley, and noticing that I was amazed I hadn't been boxed in. The ground just had dirt and small pebbles, but I could easily use that to my advantage. But I execute my plan discreetly or it would fail.

The boy just laughed. "If I kick your ass, who cares? I win."

"And you boys want to be knights," I said sadly. "I would hate to live here if it were under your protection. I mean this guy right here doesn't even know how to stay on his feet," I said, gesturing to a boy on my left who had tripped over one of his comrades that I'd knocked over.

As I expected, the boy grew humiliated, which made him mask it with anger. He stepped forward and punched me in the chest hard. I let him, but I was surprised at the force of the blow. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath, my form flickering.

All the boys froze, staring down at me in horror and shock. The one with the knife, Daron, was unable to keep his knife hand steady.

"Sorcery!" one yelled, and then he and the others ran off screaming about magic and evil, leaving Daron alone.

I stood up, my hands filled with dirt, and took a step towards him, curious if he was still going to fight me now.

He yelped, dropped his knife, and took off after his friends.

I let the dirt fall out of my hands, picked up the discarded knife, and turned to Pauline saying,

"That was _not _how I planned to win."

"You–you–you're—"

"Ssh! No! Please don't say it!" I hushed her.

Her eyes were wide, but she nodded.

I handed her the knife, blade pointed towards me. "Can you make sure he gets it back?"

She cleared her throat. "Sure."

"Thanks." I started to walk away.

"Wait!"

I turned back to her, an eyebrow raised in question. "Look, I really don't want to talk—"

"No, no. I don't want to pester you about it and I'm not sure if I really want to know how you did it. It's clearly none of my business." She smiled wryly. "But I didn't know you could fight."

I grinned back. "Yeah, well, I'm just full of surprises."

"I was trying to bluff through that, but obviously you _could _beat them all by yourself."

"That was not how I expected the fight to end, but it ended…_well_…so I think I should be okay. There's no way Halt can find out about this."

"I hope not. I like you Saab. I don't want you to get in trouble because of a fight I pushed you unwillingly into. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It was fun."

She laughed. "You are a strange individual."

"I've been told that a time or two before, granted never in such a polite manner, but I've heard it all the same."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter was a bit confusing, was it not? Well, if so, good. That's what I aimed for. If not…darn it. It's not going how I wanted it to. **

**Yes, if any of you are wondering, Pauline might possibly show up in this story again, as will those Battleschool apprentices. (Why do I make them the bad guys? Well, because we need an enemy, but not one that is in the likes of Morgarath, you know what I mean? Also…some of them get a bit full of themselves sometimes, don't you think?) It took me a few days' debate to figure out if I actually wanted to use Pauline from what I've had spoiled to me (I just finished the 5****th**** book), but then I have a plan all figured out. Besides, who said that I have to follow along with details from the real book? My conscious, that's who.**

**M'kay, so…I think that might be all that I have to say…except that, if you are confused, everything will make perfect (well, probably **_**not **_**perfect) sense later on real soon here. So please bear with me!**

**R&R please! I absolutely need to know what you guys think! I'm not as confident with this story as I am with my others, and I have no idea why. So I need all the feedback I can get, please!**

**Until next time…**

**Witchy Nike**


	6. Chapter 5: Halt

**5**

_**Halt**_

* * *

><p>"WAS HE DEALT WITH?"<p>

"YES SIR."

"ANY PROBLEMS?"

"NO. HE saw me and gave in immediately."

"Such is the joy of being a Ranger."

"If you say so."

"It was a joke Halt. Don't be so serious," the Baron smiled and clapped me on the back.

I couldn't help but disagree sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I loved my job more than anything in the world…but it was a lonesome line of work. It was hard to meet new people and become friends with them, and it got old when you earned everyone's stares and was the center of their whispered conversations every time you walked by. But I'd become used to it in the five years. Well, ever since I'd moved to Araluen, more correctly. Thank god for Crowley was all I could say. He was the only person (except for the other Rangers, I guess…), as of now, that had interrupted my solitude.

The Baron stopped smiling and said, "Right. Can I have you do one more thing?"

I looked up at him. "What would that be?"

He scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "There's some talk in town about sorcery. Some youths have been running around for the past twenty or so minutes screaming about a witch. And I'm ashamed to say that they are my brother's apprentices," he muttered under his breath. "I trust you more with this matter because you can look past nonsense such as this and straighten things out."

I nodded and headed for the door when the Baron said, "Halt? When are you going to get an apprentice? You work too hard. You could use some help."

"I have one," I said.

"Really? Who is he?"

"His name is Saab. He's from Gorlan Fief." By the silence that followed this information, I figured that he didn't like it too awfully much.

"I hope he turns out like you Halt," was all he said. I knew what was beneath his words; he was just too polite to disrespect the other Baron.

"I plan on it. He's a good kid."

"I would like to meet him sometime. When he gets used to his new home, perhaps?"

"I'll see to it," I said, and I left when he nodded, dismissing me.

* * *

><p>It didn't take me long at all to find the boys that were running around madly. I heard the <em>"Run for your lives!"<em> and _"She's going to kill us all!"_ and _"We barely escaped unharmed!"_ as soon as I exited the castle.

"Hey!"

They all froze at my yell and slowly turned around. A big red-head relaxed when he saw me, which was a shock. It made me uncomfortable, actually.

"There's–there's—"

"Where?" I asked calmly.

"I-I don't know," he said slowly.

"Show me," I told him. "The rest of you go back to the Battleschool."

"Cowards," the boy muttered when the others didn't even argue.

"What's your name?"

"Daron."

"Show me where this 'witch' is."

"I'm not lying! We all saw it!" the boy cried, his voice shrill. He narrowed his eyes at me in distrust. "But you wouldn't believe me anyways. You probably work with her. She's one of _you_."

"Right," I said, drawing the word out, amused. This boy was delusional. There were no female Rangers. And there probably never would be. It just wasn't meant for them.

"Her accent is worse than yours," he scoffed. "You can barely understand a word that comes out of her mouth."

"Show me where she is," I growled, understanding what he was referring to, "before I teach you a lesson that will leave you unconscious for weeks."

Daron was silent the whole time, looking anxiously down several different alleys and poking his head inside buildings.

"There!" he said, pointing to a beautiful, tall, graceful girl with long blonde hair standing several yards in front of us.

I made my way to her, Daron following. It was easy really; people wanted to get as far away from me as possible.

The girl turned around, laughing, and then abruptly stopped and glared, not at me, but at Daron.

"Go away. He took you once, he'll take you again. So just leave us alone, you big oaf." Her voice was soft-spoken but firm.

"You're still with her Pauline?" Daron demanded in a harsh whisper. "Get away before she kills you!"

"Who is 'she'?" Pauline asked, irritated.

"Those people were actually very friendly. Who were they agai—?"

"Saab?" I asked, perplexed. "What's going on here?"

"That's her!" Daron yelled, jumping back a few paces.

Saab looked behind him, then at Pauline. "Pauline? Yes, very good nitwit, she's a girl."

"You—"

"He what?" Pauline demanded. "He beat you fair and square! You and your boys ran off like the chickens you are. And he'll do that same if you're here to challenge him again. Your head needs some deflating."

"But he–he's the witch!" Daron exclaimed, turning to face me, his eyes showing the slightest bit of fear. "I swear! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Oh, Daron?" Saab asked, pulling something out of his pocket. "You dropped this." He held out a knife to the other boy.

I snatched it before Daron could lay hands on it. "Where did you get this Saab?"

"They attacked me and when I knocked some of his friends to the ground, mind you not trying to hurt them, he pulled that there knife on me."

"And then?" I asked, noticing he had no visible cuts.

"I threw dirt in his eyes and they all ran away yelling about sorcery. Can I help it if I use my resources to survive? That's hardly what I'd call magic."

I nodded, the inside of me swelling with approval. He was clever. Another aspect that showed he would make a great Ranger.

Handing Daron his knife, I gripped his wide shoulder tightly. "Don't ever mess with him again," I whispered sharply. "Next time I'll deal with you myself. And you can be sure the Battlemaster will hear of this." I shoved him away and watched him stumble a few paces and then take off running for the Battleschool.

"You must be Halt," the girl said, reaching a hand out. "I'm Pauline."

I shook her hand cautiously.

Seeming to read the curious look in my eyes, she shrugged, not impolitely, and said, "I spent the afternoon with Saab. I doubt you can be much weirder than he is." She directed a smile at Saab to let him know she was teasing.

Saab grinned. "Nevertheless, she speaks the truth."

"If we plan to get back before it gets dark, we must leave now."

He nodded. "Thanks for everything today Pauline."

"No problem. Next time you're in town, let me know."

"Alright. I'll do that."

Pauline turned to me. "It was nice meeting you, Ranger."

I nodded in her direction and looked back at Saab.

"Well. This certainly turned out to be an interesting day," he said brightly.

"I can't happen to agree more."

* * *

><p>"What are a Ranger's standard weapons?" I asked the young man a couple days later after I thought he had done well enough with the housework.<p>

He was quiet for a moment, thinking. "The way you seem to make yourself turn invisible?"

"That's one of the things. But we don't really turn invisible," I said. This was a common belief, one of the many reasons we Rangers were believed to practice the Dark Arts. "We become very hard to see, and it takes years of practice to be able to become efficient at this. But that night when the Wargals attacked you, you used the shadows and the movement of the wind to conceal yourself, did you not?"

"Yes. Maybe. I guess? I honestly have no idea. I didn't even know what I was doing, except that usually when I focused on copying the elemental movements around me I more often than not became invisible to almost every normal eye." Saab seemed perplexed.

"That's basically the same thing that we do to 'turn invisible'. You blend into the background, you use it to conceal yourself, you become a part of it."

He nodded in understanding.

"What we chiefly depend on is stealth and silence, and that ability to not be seen that we just discussed. But sometimes we need more than that."

"That's where your bow comes in?"

"Right," I said, showing him his bow. The longbow was, as the name implied, very long and its wood was bent in one incessant curve. It was a beautiful yet dangerous weapon when one knew how to use it properly. "The draw weight might be a little bit much for you as of right now, but it's something you'll be able to adjust to with lots of practice and strength training. It will also take time to be able to empty one quiver. For now I expect for you to be able to only shoot two or three at the most."

He nodded again. "How do I shoot it?"

"You've never shot a bow before?"

"No."

"Well I guess that's good. You would have been wrong if you had." When he didn't say anything I continued. I handed him a long cuff made of stiff leather; an armguard. I slid it onto his left arm so if he got hit by the bowstring it wouldn't hurt too awfully much.

"This is called an armguard. If you don't want to hurt, wear it." I pulled an arrow out from my quiver, moving at a slower speed than I normally would so he would be able to see, and I attached the butt end of the arrow onto the string.

"The arrow should rest between the first and second fingers on the string, like so," I said, demonstrating as I was talking. "Then finally you aim, at that tree right there, and then release the arrow." I drew back and then released immediately once I had aimed quickly. I wasn't surprised when the arrow hit home.

"Do you think you can do it?" I asked, handing the bow and quiver to him.

"Probably not," he said honestly.

"You'll do fine," I assured him. "It takes tons of practice, that's all."

"Umm…Halt?" he said quietly.

"Yes?"

"I, uh, I don't use this hand."

"Huh?"

"My right arm isn't my strong arm…and my right eye isn't the one I use," Saab said. "I don't know why, but that's the way it is."

"Hmm…" I said. Nobody in the Ranger Corps was like that. "Well just put the cuff on your right arm and pull back with your left arm and aim with your left eye, keeping your right one closed." We'd see how this worked.

I watched him carefully get an arrow and attach it the way I had shown him, placing his fingers correctly, one on each side of the arrow. Then he drew it back and released, not able to take time to aim well. The arrow soared past the tree I had aimed at, lodging itself into the bottom of the tree behind it.

"It's not so easy," he murmured.

"No, it's not. It's a little bit much for you to pull back, but keep doing this everyday and you'll be able to pull it back after a while," I told him. "At least you didn't lose the arrow."

"One good thing."

"Try again. But this time keep your left–excuse me, your right arm straight behind, not lifted and off to the side. Also bring the butt of the arrow back to the corner of your mouth that way you can look straight down the arrow. Don't just use your arms either, try to use your back muscles too. Try and feel like you're pushing your shoulder blades together," I instructed, pointing out his flaws. Truthfully, those were things that I believe every apprentice didn't realize and had to be taught.

As an answer, Saab did as I said and this time he was able to properly aim, and whether it was luck or just him, he had put his arrow right next to mine. From the smacking sound it made, I knew that it had either torn off or clipped a fletching.

"Oh god," Saab gasped. "Halt, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry? What for? That was a brilliant shot! You can't have gotten any better. Unless you put that arrow through the other one."

"But I ruined your arrow—"

"You didn't ruin it," I told him. "it was just one fletching. Did you aim next to the arrow that was already there?"

"Yes."

"Good," I said, nodding my approval. "Can you shoot again?"

"No. My arm feels weird. I'm tired; my strength's gone."

I nodded. "As was expected. You'll get stronger. I expect you to practice every day."

"Yes Halt."

I retrieved the knives I had brought for him and handed him a double scabbard. The knives were set one above the other, the top one the shorter of the two. It had a thick, heavy grip made of a series of leather discs set one above another. There was a brass crosspiece between the hilt and the blade and it had a matching brass pommel.

"These are a Ranger's knives," I said, indicating for him to pull one out. He pulled the shortest one out. This knife was narrow at the hilt and it narrowed out sharply, becoming thicker and wider for three quarters of its length to form a broad blade with the weight concentrated toward the tip. It had a steep reverse taper which made an extremely sharp point.

"The extra width at the tip balances the weight of the hilt and the combined weight of the two helps drive the knife home when you throw it. With that being said, it's a throwing knife."

"How do you throw it?"

"Good question." I reached my hand to my waist and quickly flicked my throwing knife free from the cover and sent it spinning into a tree nearby.

"I barely saw that," Saab said, his eyes wide with amazement.

"That's the point. If your enemy sees you doing that, it won't help, will it? They'll either have time to get to you first or move out of the way. There's no element of surprise. You have to be quick. Not just with this knife, but with the other I'm about to show you and the bow also. And it might help if you're quick in the head too."

Saab pulled the other, longer knife out. The handle was the same as that of the throwing knife with a short, sturdy crosspiece. The blade itself was straight and heavy, razor-sharp on one side while the other side was thick and heavy.

"This one is strange," he mused.

"This is a saxe knife, what the Skandians used to call a sea ax. They have these too, although ours is a better quality of steel. To them it's both a weapon and a tool. The saxe knife is here for you if an enemy gets too close." I didn't say it, but I doubted that would happen if he had his bow with him. Once he got stronger and he practiced, he would be one hell of a shot if it wasn't luck showing through with that shot. But then again…it was just _one_ shot. At a tree. Standing still. "It's also balanced for throwing, but you can block a sword stroke with this. Look after this and keep it sharp, as well as your other one."

"Okay," he said, looking the knives over curiously. "They're fine weapons."

"Better than any sword is," I agreed. And then I showed him how to strap the double scabbard to his belt so that his hand fell naturally to the knife hilts. The first time I got it wrong, forgetting that he used a different hand, so I had to redo it.

"What else is there to learn?"

"Tracking, map reading, and chart drawing. All are just as important as learning how to use the weapons, so I expect you to put as much effort into learning and perfecting those skills as you will with the ones I just showed you and learning how to conceal yourself."

"Along with the housework?"

"I guess I could help you with that now if I see you working hard with everything else," I said grimacing, making him laugh.

"I think I'm going to enjoy this."

_As do I, _I thought, grinning inwardly.

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><p><strong>AN: Well…I think this is getting somewhere. I know that some of the descriptions may be the same from the first Ranger's Apprentice book, but despite being able to shoot a bow myself, I have a hard time describing how in words. Also, the appearance and how to use the knives…yeah. Wasn't sure how to do that any other way. So I apologize if you were looking for some original wording…that was honestly the best I could do. I don't know about you, but I like to understand what I read, at least most of the time.**

**So please let me know what you thought about this chapter! I love reviews, and I love to hear what you guys are thinking of this, as well as what I'm doing right, and what I'm doing wrong and what I can do to improve it at all.**

**So with that being said… R&R people, please!**

**Witchy Nike**


	7. Chapter 6: Halt

**6**

_**Halt**_

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><p>"WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW?" I ASKED a few evenings later. The sun was just setting, and the night was nice and cool out on the verandah.<p>

"About the Ranger Corps or about you?" he asked.

A little bit of fear went through me. The boy was Hibernian after all. There was a chance that he knew. But I quickly pushed that thought away. There was just a slight chance. Who knew? He might have lived in another kingdom of Hibernia. I had yet to ask.

"You don't want to know anything about me. It's far less interesting than the other choice."

He nodded, but I could tell that he didn't really believe me. "When was the Ranger Corps found?"

"A long time ago. Names probably mean nothing to you, do they?"

"No. I wasn't really educated in Gorlan," Saab said, grinning slightly. "I'm as stupid as they get. And I bet you that's how he wanted it."

"Nah. I'm sure that's not true. You can read, can't you?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Well, you've beat most newly admitted Battleschool apprentices."

He laughed. It was kind of funny. Crowley wouldn't believe that I actually made jokes around anyone but him. He would die of shock. Speaking of Crowley…I was going to be dead since I hadn't told him and it had been a couple of weeks already. After I was done talking to Saab, I'd go send a letter to him.

"Well, long ago the Ranger Corps was founded by King Herbert. He thought that, to keep the kingdom safe, we needed an intelligence force. We Ranger's, the intelligent force, keep our eyes and ears open, we listen and we observe, we report back. We patrol the kingdom and beyond, we find out what our enemies and potential enemies are up to."

"That must take a good many of you to be able to do that and keep things under control in the other fifty fiefs."

"Eh, somewhat. The Corps were established at fifty, but there are more than that, including the apprentices. There's only fifty employed at once, one for each fief."

"Oh. Do the others still work?"

"Yes. If help is needed, they're sent in. If none of the Rangers that have a fief can't spare the time away from their fief, they're sent on the special missions."

"Why were you called to the Baron a couple weeks ago?" It was a strange thing itself that this question had not been voiced that day. But I guess he had had a lot on his mind.

"Rangers are also the law keepers. The Baron is the judge who gets the wondrous job of hearing complaining people all the time. He settles the complaints and we get to take care of the trouble-makers, a much easier task if you ask me. We look for evidence and see who has done what. We either report back to the Baron or we deal with them ourselves."

"What about during times of war? Do you spy on the enemies since it's harder for you to be seen?"

"I wouldn't know from experience since, fortunately, there's been no war from the time I came here til this day. But in the event of one, we guide the armies, scout, and yes, spy on the enemy and make their lives hell before they even start the fighting."

"Who are the most frequent troublesome people?"

"The Skandians, without a doubt."

He paled just a bit, then nodded, looking away, hoping I didn't notice anything. "They're definitely something to be worried about." I didn't want to pry, because one; it wasn't my place, and two; he could just be a sensible person and be wary of the fearsome, war-like sea-wolves.

"What about the Wargals?" he asked after a moment. "I know they're working for somebody. That time when you saved me from them…that wasn't the first time I had seen them around. It was just the first time I had thought to follow them."

I paused, thinking about what he said. "You've seen them before?"

"Yes."

"And you never told anyone?"

"Well, I told Vadym, but he told me to stay far away, especially if I was unarmed. But other than him, no, no one."

"About how many?"

"There must be more than fifty. I've stumbled upon some camps before."

"Do you go looking for trouble or are you just a magnet for it?"

"The correct answer is most likely the second the majority of times."

"I'll let Crowley know about that and then we'll see what to do from there."

"Crowley? Who's Crowley?"

"He's the Ranger Corps Commandment."

"He's your friend." It wasn't a question.

"How can you tell?"

"I don't know. You seem so…_casual_…not the way one would seem to talk about his boss or his superior."

"And you said you're stupid. You're observation skills are impressive, as is your vocabulary."

"Why thank you," he said, grinning. "How long have you known him?"

"About six years."

"Will I ever get to meet him?"

"No. He hates kids."

"But…I…" he trailed off, a stricken look on his face.

"I'm just kidding. Yes, you can meet him. As for when, that's up to him."

"Have you told him yet?" He took my silence as a no. "Why not?"

"Does it seem like I've had the time? You're quite the handful."

"Does he have an apprentice?"

"Not at the moment, no."

"Has he ever had one before?"

"No. He hasn't been a Ranger long, which is surprising in itself that he was made the Corps Commandment. Not that he's terrible or anything. He's quite good." I didn't feel the need to mention that it was Crowley and myself working together who brought the Corps back to life after all those years…it just didn't seem important to mention the fact that I was given the opportunity to be in command, but I had stepped down to allow Crowley.

"Have you ever had an apprentice before?"

"Why does that even matter?"

"I'm just trying to figure out if I'm going to make it worse for your future apprentices, or if after you're through with me you'll even want another one."

I chuckled, trying unsuccessfully to keep it inside. "We'll see about that."

"How long have you been a Ranger?"

"I thought I told you I didn't want to talk about me."

"You were answering them anyways. So how long have you been a Ranger?"

"Almost three years now."

"How long was your training?"

"Why does that matter?" I didn't want to get into the fact that Crowley and I had basically trained ourselves with the help of others who supported the return of the legendary Ranger Corps.

"I want to know how long mine will be."

"That depends on you. There's no set time or deadline or whatever. It depends on your skills and when _I _and Crowley think you're ready, as well as your assessors at the Gathering."

"Gathering?" Of course there was another question. The boy was always so damned curious…not that it bothered me. That was a good thing, even if it did mean hours upon hours of endless queries.

"That's nothing you need to worry about for now. You've still got a long way to go before we come to that. A couple months, at the least."

"So you're not going to tell me anything about it?"

"Not until we get closer to it."

"Fine." He was silent for a moment, forming another question in his head. "What would happen if they wanted to send you on a mission while you still have an apprentice?"

"Strange question."

"Not really if you look at it from my point of view."

"Point taken. I'm not sure. It would depend on the importance of the task."

"So…you, the best Ranger out there—"

"I'm not the best Ranger out there," I said hurriedly.

"Whatever the case. Let's just say you are, okay? What if they needed _you, _and only you were fit for the job, would I stay here by myself, be sent to someone else, or would I go with you?"

"I don't know. I think it might depend on the mission and how experienced you are at the time." I looked at him questioningly. "Why are you asking?"

"I'm just curious, that's all."

"Of course you are."

"But I thought you said that curiosity was a good thing."

"You're an apprentice. You're not ready to think."

He laughed, but seeing the expression, or lack there-of, on my face, he quit immediately. "Oh. You weren't kidding."

"I never kid around. Humor and having fun is just a huge waste of time," I said, keeping my expressions, as always, under control. I was finding that was becoming increasingly harder to do the more time I spent with this boy.

"That spells out a dull life," he muttered under his breath.

"Speak for yourself. I find it the best way to live."

He just stared at me in disbelief, saying nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter was more of a time waster than anything else. Yes, I know, it was shorter than my normal chapters, too. Sorry 'bout that…**

**Since I set the pattern of having two chapters in a row in one characters' POV, I couldn't think of what I wanted to happen because I was thinking of what would happen in Saab's POV, not Halt's. So if you thought this chapter was rather boring and uneventful, yeah, you're very right. And I don't mind you saying so because I was a little bit bored myself when I went through and edited it.**

**I never was able to find more information about how the Ranger Corps was re-found. I'd thought I'd heard that Halt and Crowley had done it, but I haven't exactly had any time to do the research, so I'm going to go with they did. I think that will make it more interesting because that means the whole thing is new once again to the kingdom.**

**I'm getting a little bit anxious, however, for the real action to start. I guess that's why it's taking me longer to write. But, I do have to get the first couple weeks of the apprenticeship out of the way, and I'm not sure I like the idea of just skipping out on writing at least a little bit about 'em.**

**So please bear with me for awhile guys! I think it will be worth it in the end.**

**Check in for the update please!**

**And also…**

**REVIEW!**

**Thanks you guys!**

**Nike**


	8. Chapter 7: Saab

**7**

**Saab**

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><p><em>J<em>_UST A LITTLE BIT FARTHER, _I TOLD MYSELF, DRAWING THE bowstring back to about half-draw before my arm started to shake uncontrollably.

"Damn it all," I muttered, carefully releasing the tension on the string. It was all slow moving; three weeks (so far) of practicing and doing strength training that included getting up _way _before Halt did and running and climbing and such out in the woods. Finally, after much strenuous work, I had finally been able to pull the bow back to a little over half-draw, which wasn't bad considering it was at a sixty-pound draw weight.

Where-as the bow was taking time because I needed to build up strength, the other things were coming along great.

I was able to effectively unsheathe my knives quickly without cutting a finger off (I had given myself a fairly deep cut the first time I had tried, which resulted in me being assaulted with jabs from Halt) and throw the throwing knife pretty darn close to the intended target. I was becoming better at tracking and at moving unseen, but I still had awhile to go to reach Ranger standards Halt had told me when I'd thought I would try tracking where he'd went and trying to stay hidden out of his sight. It had ended with me in a headlock and him almost-smiling. My map reading wasn't too awfully bad even though it bored me to death, and I was being taught how to write, which was actually quite fun since Halt had practically no patience at all. Even better was that my strength in my _true_ form was building up.

So to say the least, I was pretty damn proud of myself.

"You'll make something of yourself yet, old girl," I muttered, grinning. "Saab would be proud." I told myself, glancing at my necklace around my neck in remembrance as I slung the bow behind my back, sliding the arrow back into the quiver. Whistling, I began to walk, heading for a small stream I had found yesterday morning to clean up before I made my way back to the cottage that I came to call home.

It was a nice, quiet morning. The sun was just beginning to rise above the trees, casting everything in a bright orange and pink glow. I sighed, content. This was probably my favorite time of day, right as the sun was rising. Everything was so peaceful; it was at the moment when something new begins, even if no one is there to watch it unfold.

It was the only time I could be myself.

I dipped my head in the ice cold water, then withdrew my head, shaking so as to get most of the water out of my long hair. I cupped the water in one of my hands, running it down my arm, then switched hands to do so to my other arm. I took a drink, enjoying the water as it went down my throat, before I sat back and watched the sun rise higher above the trees. I grinned to myself. Life actually wasn't so bad; and they said when you were around a Ranger every day it would kill you. To me, these were some of the best weeks in my entire life.

I rose to my feet, casting one longing look at my reflection in the water. _Soon, _I told myself. _Soon and you'll be able to change to _your _face, and not his. But for now, keep honoring his last wish. You owe him that much._ I closed my eyes in concentration and switched back, then picked up my weapons and made my way through the forest, heading back to the cabin. I wondered if there'd be any of the coffee I'd made this morning left for me by the time I got back. I grinned at the thought. The one thing I'd come to learn about the mysterious young Ranger was that Halt _loved _his coffee. But not just any coffee. Oh no, it had to have spoonful after spoonful of honey, yes _honey_, in it. I swear the man was addicted to it. He was reluctant to let me try some a few days back, but when I told him I'd never had coffee before in my life, he'd quickly changed his mind. _"No apprentice of mine is _ever _going to hate this heavenly drink," _he'd told me, giving me a cup. _"So drink, and may your taste-buds jump for joy."_ He was still trying to convince me to try it with honey, but I haven't been so brave yet.

"Lovely morning, isn't it?" a voice said from behind me.

I jumped, turning to face a man astride a horse. He was a tall young man, maybe in his early twenties or so. He had short, sandy colored hair and bright, mischievous, sea blue eyes. The man was adorned in the clothing and weapons that were associated with Rangers, which made me nervous. I guess I was going to have to get used to them, but that would require me being around more than just dreary Halt. This Ranger was smiling though, which made me loosen up just a bit.

"Sure is. Should be a nice day," I said, unsure how to respond.

The man dismounted his horse and offered me his hand, which I shook. "You must be Saab," he said while scrutinizing me.

"Yes sir. And you are…?"

"Bleh. I don't like the whole formal sir nonsense. Call me Crowley."

"_You're _Crowley?" I tried not to stare openmouthed. So this was Halt's friend. Weird, when I pictured anyone who would be friends with Halt, I pictured someone not as easy to talk to, someone who didn't really crack jokes, almost like an old man (okay, I _did _picture an old man). But this man…he was the complete opposite of what my mind had made him out to be.

Crowley laughed. "The one and only! Can't say that I ever imagined you'd have known who I was; Halt's pretty close-mouthed, isn't he?"

"Well…"

"Hey, you don't have to try and be polite. I'm Halt's friend; I know he can be a grumpy old bear most of them time. Psh, who am I kidding? He's a grumpy old bear _all _the time!"

"He's not all that bad…he just doesn't like to talk."

"Eh, that's Halt for you. Trust me, no matter how long you know him, that'll never change. It'd probably be better for you to focus on getting used to his sly sense of humor and wit."

I raised my eyes to the sky. "God knows I'm trying."

He laughed. "Can't say you're what I pictured Halt's first apprentice as, but I'm not disappointed. Nice to meet you, lad."

"You too…Crowley."

"There you go! Slow going, getting you to come out of your shell, isn't it?" he joked as he took his horses reins and we started walking towards Halt's little cabin.

"Uh…well…I don't really have much to say to anyone unless I know them."

"Then how are you going to know people if you never have a conversation with them?"

"Good point. I'll add that to my list of things to learn."

"Imagine that list is pretty long by now."

"You have no idea." I was actually very surprised that Crowley was so talkative and easy to get along with. I hadn't been around the man for more than five minutes and here we were, talking like we'd known each other for years.

"So, Saab, what are you doing out here so early? Certainly not chores, and I don't imagine Halt has you up _this _early on mandatory practice."

"No, he doesn't, but I thought I needed the extra practice with these," I said, gesturing at the weapons I had.

He nodded. "You're dedicated. That's good."

"Thanks?"

"No need. Dedication is good, just don't forget to have fun."

"Fun? Halt doesn't like fun," I said, trying to mimic the way Halt would say "fun".

"Ha-ha you're right! Well, you and I will have to give him a hard time today, won't we?" Crowley asked, grinning over at me.

"No, don't even tell me hello before you start plotting evil plans of my demise with my apprentice," Halt said dryly from behind us. "I see how it is."

I jumped guiltily and turned to face my mentor, while Crowley just frowned and turned around slowly.

"Demise? Demise…" His face lit up with realization. "Oh! _Demise_! Yes! Of your horribly lacking personality, yes. But of your being…you're not so lucky yet." I managed to stifle a laugh, thinking it was in my best interests to do so.

"Really? Well I wish you both the best of luck, and let the challenge begin!" Halt said, locking eyes with his friend.

"Nah," Crowley said. "S'too early in the morning for my taste…how 'bout 'round noon?" This time I couldn't contain my "cough". Halt's piercing eyes flew to me.

"Bet you're wishing that this old goat had chosen you instead of me, aren't you?"

"Old _goat? _Really now, Halt. Of all the insults you could have chosen you used _'old goat'?"_ Crowley tsked while I started to say,

"Actually, I—"

"Too bad. You're stuck with me. And yes, Crowley, I _did _use that insult because, however old and overused it may be, it's the most accurate."

"Nice to see you too," Crowley muttered. Then Halt did the unthinkable.

He _smiled_.

"WHOA! DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN?" Both men turned to look at me, Crowley with an amused expression and Halt with just his normal one. I felt my cheeks turn red, realizing I'd said that out loud.

"I mean, erm…I, uh…am…glad…to…finally meet you Crowley. It's been a pleasure, but I think my time's been about worn out…" I was just about to take off running when Halt grabbed me by the back of my shirt.

"Why run off so soon, boy? You don't want to miss this, as I'm sure you're thinking, once in a lifetime opportunity, do you , now?"

"I guess not," I mumbled weakly. Because, in all honesty, did I really have a choice in the matter?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry this is ****SOOOOO**** overdue, you guys! Between not having time to get on here and the fact that I had an **_**extremely **_**hard time writing this chapter, it took me probably close to 5 weeks to just come out of writer's block. But between writing 6 fanfictions and 5 original stories (that's JUST my writing world), I feel a little bit overwhelmed at times. I'm really sorry it's taken me this long though. Hope the chapter wasn't too awfully boring or bad that it was a major disappointment.**

**My thank you's and replies to all of you who replied:**

Tessi: **Thank you! I like to be original! =) And oh jeesh, you just told me what every writer wants to hear! You certainly made my day! I always wondered about Halt when he was young…and since I never could find anything in my research, I figured I'd go all out and come up with something completely different than what probably would have happened, but hey! That's why it's called fanfiction! ;) There will be tragedy in this story later on, I assure you, but for now, it's all butterflies and rainbows! Urg…not really. Can't believe I said that! Thanks for sticking around! Hope you continue liking it!**

Bralt: **Thanks! Hope you're opinion stays the same!**

**Alrighty! Not sure when next chapter will be up, because I'm kind of stuck, so as soon as I get it done you will get it! If you guys have any questions or ideas, I'm an open-minded person and will think/answer everything fairly, so just PM me or leave it in a review!**

**Until then… R&R please! Oh, and enjoy!**

**Nike**


	9. Chapter 8: Saab

_**8**_

**Saab**

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><p>"WHY ARE YOU HERE, CROWLEY?" HALT ASKED A COUPLE HOURS later as we were all sitting on the verandah, them drinking coffee and me whittling a stick.<p>

Crowley looked up at the heavens, as if asking, _'Why me?' _

"Since when do I need a reason to visit you, Halt?"

"Let me think about this. _Every _time you show your face around my home."

Frowning, Crowley looked over at me. "He's _such _a downer, huh?"

"Maybe he's just tired?" I offered, not wanting to choose sides because I knew both men were equally dangerous in their own ways.

"Well then he's tired an awfully lot. Maybe you should think of an early retirement, old friend." He was digging himself a deeper hole each minute he spoke.

"Alright," Halt said, "with your consent, I'd like to retire right here and now."

"Okay, fine. But I was trying to enjoy myself before I brought the news up."

"News?"

"Bad news, unfortunately. It seems Baron Morgarath is missing a servant boy." I stiffened, sitting up straighter, hands faltering. This couldn't be happening, not after all these weeks of life being so…perfect, for lack of a better word. My life hadn't been like this in years…and there was no way I was going to give it up without a fight.

"Is he, now? Are you sure he didn't just off the poor kid because he breathed too loud?"

"No, not this time, I'm afraid. Apparently he was taken by a lone, dark figure. At least, that's what he said in the letter he sent me."

"Really? And did he actually see this happen?"

"No, but he assumes it's the young man he exchanged some unpleasant words just hours before he was found missing."

"Good. Maybe somebody finally put him in his place." Halt seemed so calm, bored even. "What has this got to do with me?"

"Oh, nothing. I just thought you'd want to know since his fief's not too far away from here. And since you have a young boy of your own, you might want to watch out for this kidnapper." Crowley shrugged, then leaned back in his chair casually. "You've been awfully quiet, Saab. Do you not have an opinion that's dying to be heard?"

I stared down at the stick I was holding. "Not this time sir—I mean, Crowley."

He nodded. "Odd. Because just five minutes ago we could get you to shut the hell up. Look, my ears are about talked off!" He tugged on his ears for emphasis.

"I'm focusing, that's all."

"Yes, I can see that and the fact that you haven't moved for awhile now."

I looked up at him, becoming angry. There was no way in hell I was going back to Gorlan Fief. "Yeah, well, did you know there are Wargals wandering around out there? They come out at night; they used to stay hidden, but they've become braver and are in large groups, stalking the land."

Crowley sat up straight. _"What?"_ His voice was sharper than I'd ever heard it, and his friendly face melted into a scarier, emotionless one. Halt gave me a look that told me to shut-up.

"Don't worry about it," Halt told his friend. "I'm keeping an eye out."

"You knew about them, yet you didn't tell me?" Crowley demanded. "Halt, you can't do that anymore! Anything like that you've _got _to report in! We have rules, and even though you might be responsible for some of the rules, you aren't an exception from them. It can't look like I pick and choose favorites."

"I, umm, I'm gonna go for a run," I said, wanting to get away before things got ugly. "I'll see you guys later."

"Sit," Crowley barked, so I did, cursing my luck. "I want you to tell me about the Wargals, and how you found out about them." I sighed and looked at Halt, who was sitting sullenly. He didn't say anything against it, so I told Crowley,

"I was banished out to the forest for a couple days, so naturally I had to stay the nights out there, too. On my first night, as soon as the moon rose into the sky, I heard this strange, chanting sound. As it got closer, I panicked and climbed a tree, deciding I'd be safer there.

"These strange creatures, probably about five of them, marched into view. They were terrifying at first, but then I just got used to them, I guess, imagining they could be strange and twisted teddy bears from a horror story. Anyways, they moved right on past me, not even knowing I was there. That was the smallest group; they grew progressively larger after that. The next night the group that came through was triple the size of the last.

"I think they're gathering, but I don't know what they're up to. Ever since then, up until I met Halt, I'd been searching for their camp, but I never found it."

"Why would you go searching for them? Are you mad? That's stupid!" Crowley said. "Why didn't you contact Ranger Cael? It's his job to investigate situations like that."

"I did!" I said defensively. "But he didn't believe me and brushed me off because everyone thinks I'm such a horrible, bad, lying boy. How is that _my _fault?"

"Really? Well if that's the case I guess you aren't entirely stupid. I'll have to have a talk with Cael. But I do want to know what you'd hoped to gain out of finding the Wargals camp."

"Once I found it I would have dragged Ranger Cael out there to prove to him we really did have a problem."

"Ah…I see." Crowley nodded his head, approvingly, I think. "Why were you banished to the woods in the first place?"

I shrugged like it was no big deal, because really, it wasn't. It'd happened all the time. "Morgarath was in a real pissed off mood and, as usual, took it out on me."

I realized by the silence that followed that I'd made a mistake.

"Way to go, kid," Halt muttered.

"I really wish you hadn't told me that," Crowley said sadly. "Because now that I know that Baron Morgarath was telling the truth, you have to go back."

"Why did you ask me, then?" I demanded, anger flaring up. "You tricked me!"

"I'm required to, Saab. But just because Halt and I have to does not mean you do, yet, which was why I was asking _you_."

"Can we go back in time and try that again?"

"I'm afraid not, though I wish we could."

"You gotta learn from your mistakes," Halt added gruffly.

"Damnit," I hissed.

"Yes indeed," Crowley said, shaking his head. "I promise you that I'll try and see if we can work something out between your apprenticeship and Morgarath, but I _have _to take you back."

"If all else fails can I run away and change my name?"

"That's the spirit, boy!" Crowley exclaimed, clapping me on the back. "Never lose your sense of humor!"

"I think I'll lose more than my sense of humor if I have to go back," I muttered darkly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm SOOO sorry this is really overdue, you guys! I'm just having such a hard time getting to the main part that is playing over and over again in my head. Please forgive me and don't give up on me yet, I beg you.**

**My thank-you's:**

Tessi**: Thank you so much for understanding! You don't know how much I appreciate it. Yes, I cannot wait til that chapter either! But it won't be what exactly you think it is, I'm sure. Heh, yeah…not sure where that came from! :) But, yes, there will be people falling in love soon, but it's not Saab! Sadly, I can't use your idea about the Ranger horse yet, because this is the time where the Rangers' don't have their own special breed yet. But…this story will go into detail about getting the Rangers' horses…read prologue again, for a hint. ;)**

**Alrighty, so thank you guys for reading and still having faith in me! R&R please! And, as always, if any of you have ideas, any at all, I would LOVE to hear 'em!**

**Nike**


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